Cork mayor: Irish schools 'a bit behind' and should all provide period products

Lord Mayor of County Cork, Mary Linehan Foley, said that in this "day and age, we shouldn't even have to be asking for this." File image. 

The government is being urged to provide free sanitary products across all secondary schools in an aim to combat period poverty. 

Lord Mayor of County Cork, Mary Linehan Foley, said that in this "day and age, we shouldn't even have to be asking for this." 

However, Ms Linehan Foley said a recent student council meeting in one of her local secondary schools showed an "overwhelming amount of requests for free period products." 

"They decided to contact me to say, could I help in this endeavour for this. So that's exactly what I did. I brought it forward as a motion last Monday week at full council, and it was passed unanimously to write to the department to request the same," she told Newstalk Breakfast on Tuesday. 

"I can go back to the days, I have four daughters myself, and after speaking with the students, periods can come unexpectedly and as well as that, you can be caught out and be in school and not have the products with you, so they should be there in the end." 

Ms Linehan added, "We are a bit behind" as this topic was already brought before a subcommittee in 2017, which showed that 85% of women are at risk of period poverty. 

"Some 50% of students in school are missing school days because of this as well. It's embarrassing enough; it's hard enough on teenagers. In my opinion, they're going through enough nowadays without having the extra stress or strain of worrying or ringing parents, or trying to get period products for them when they find themselves in that position. 

A recently published Programme for Government, 'Securing Ireland's Future', from the Department of Education, provides a commitment to provide free period products in schools and to ensure that no student is held back due to period poverty. 

In February, Education Minister Helen McEntee said her department will work hand in hand to ensure that this commitment is advanced.